Method and apparatus at the physical and link layer for mobile communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015017993-A1
Application number	US-201214380600-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 29, 2012
Priority date	Mar 7, 2012
Publication date	Jan 15, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a telecommunications network, a system to offload data traffic from base stations to small node devices includes a small node device. The small node device includes a macro-base-station-to-small-node-device (BS2D) communication section in communication with a source base station through a first link, and a small-node-device-to-user-equipment (D2UE) communication section in wireless communication with a mobile station through a fourth link. A control unit in the source base station determines a configuration of the fourth link, a macro-base-station-to-user-equipment (BS2UE) communication section is in wireless communication with the mobile station and the source base station through a second link, and a macro-base-station-to-macro-base-station (BS2BS) communication section is in communication with a target radio base station and the source base station through a third link, and a backhaul communication section is in communication with a server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . In a cellular telecommunications network, a mobile communication system to offload data traffic from radio base stations to small node devices comprising a small node device, wherein the small node device comprises:
a macro-base-station-to-small-node-device (BS2D) communication section in communication with a source base station through a first link; and a small-node-device-to-user-equipment (D2UE) communication section in wireless communication with a mobile station through a fourth link, wherein a control unit in the source base station determines a configuration of the fourth link, wherein a macro-base-station-to-user-equipment (BS2UE) communication section is in wireless communication with the mobile station and the source base station through a second link, and a macro-base-station-to-macro-base-station (BS2BS) communication section is in communication with a target radio base station and the source base station through a third link, wherein a backhaul communication section is in communication with a server, wherein the BS2D communication section exchanges, through the first link, a first control signal from the source radio base station to establish the fourth link, wherein the BS2UE communication section exchanges, through the second link, a second control signal from the source radio base station to establish the fourth link, wherein the BS2BS communication section exchanges a set of information for the fourth link, wherein the backhaul communication section receives first data which is sent by the server to the mobile station, wherein the D2UE communication section transmits the first data to the mobile station through the fourth link, and wherein the D2UE communication section receives second data through the fourth link which is sent by the mobile station to the server, and wherein the backhaul communication section transmits the second data to the server.

2 . The small node device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a handover request comprising a third control signal for requesting a handover between the source radio base station and the target radio base station and the set of information.

3 . The small node device of claim 1 ,
wherein the set of information includes at least one from a group consisting of radio bearer information of the fourth link, frequency-domain information of the fourth link, time-domain information of the fourth link, identification information of the device, transmit power control information of the fourth link, control channel information of the fourth link, data channel information of the fourth link, MAC/RLC/PDCP layer configuration of the fourth link, and security information of the fourth link.

4 . The small node device of claim 1 ,
wherein the BS2BS communication section exchanges a fourth control signal which notifies the target radio base station that the mobile station is allowed to communicate with the small node device after a handover.

5 . The small node device of claim 1 ,
wherein the BS2BS communication section exchanges a fourth control signal which notifies the target radio base station that the mobile station is not allowed to communicate with the small node device after a handover.

6 . The small node device of claim 1 ,
wherein the BS2UE communication section transmits a fifth control signal which notifies the mobile station that it is allowed to communicate with the small node device after a handover, and wherein the fifth control signal is included in a handover command.

7 . The small node device of claim 1 ,
wherein the BS2UE communication section transmits a fifth control signal which notifies the mobile station that it is not allowed to communicate with the small node device after a handover, and wherein the fifth control signal is included in a handover command.

8 . The small node device of claim 1 ,
wherein the BS2D communication section transmits a sixth control signal which notifies the small node device that it is allowed to communicate with the mobile station after a handover.

9 . The small node device of claim 1 ,
wherein the BS2D communication section transmits a sixth control signal which notifies the small node device that it is not allowed to communicate with the mobile station after a handover.

10 . In a cellular telecommunications network, a mobile communication system to offload data traffic from radio base stations to small node devices comprising a source base station, wherein the source base station comprises:
a macro-base-station-to-small-node-device (BS2D) communication section in communication with a small node device through a first link; a macro-base-station-to-user-equipment (BS2UE) communication section in wireless communication with a mobile station through a second link; a macro-base-station-to-macro-base-station (BS2BS) communication section in communication with a target radio base station through a third link; and a control unit for determining a configuration of a fourth link through which a small-node-device-to-user-equipment (D2UE) communication section in the small node devices is in wireless communication with the mobile station and the small node device, wherein a backhaul communication section in the small node devices is in communication with a server, wherein the BS2D communication section exchanges, through the first link, a first control signal from the source radio base station to establish the fourth link, wherein the BS2UE communication section exchanges, through the second link, a second control signal from the source radio base station to establish the fourth link, wherein the BS2BS communication section exchanges a set of information for the fourth link, wherein the backhaul communication section receives first data which is sent by the server to the mobile station, wherein the D2UE communication section transmits the first data to the mobile station through the fourth link, and wherein the D2UE communication section receives second data through the fourth link which is sent by the mobile station to the server, and wherein the backhaul communication section transmits the second data to the server.

11 . The source base station of claim 10 , further comprising:
a handover request comprising a third control signal for requesting a handover between the source radio base station and the target radio base station and the set of information.

12 . The source base station of claim 10 ,
wherein the set of information includes at least one from a group consisting of radio bearer information of the fourth link, frequency-domain information of the fourth link, time-domain information of the fourth link, identification information of the device, transmit power control information of the fourth link, control channel information of the fourth link, data channel information of the fourth link, MAC/RLC/PDCP layer configuration of the fourth link, and security information of the fourth link.

13 . The source base station of claim 10 ,
wherein the BS2BS communication section exchanges a fourth control signal which notifies the target radio base station that the mobile station is allowed to communicate with the small node device after a handover, wherein the BS2UE communication section transmits a fifth control signal which notifies the mobile station that it is allowed to communicate with the small node device after a handover, wherein the fifth control signal is included in a handover command, wherein the BS2D communication section transmits a sixth control signal which notifies the small node device that it is allowed to communicate with the mobile station after a handover.

Assignees

• Ntt Docomo Inc

Inventors

• Ishii Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H04W36/0011

  for data sessions of end-to-end connection · CPC title

• H04W36/00692

  using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] (allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035) · CPC title

• H04W36/04 Primary

  Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells · CPC title

• H04W36/22

  for handling the traffic · CPC title

• H04W16/26 Primary

  Cell enhancers {or enhancement}, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow · CPC title